The Town of Braintree proposes to re-develop a former electric light facility site that has been abandoned since the late 1970's. The site comprises approximately 1.5 acres abutting the Monatiquot River. The site is within walking distance to the Braintree–Weymouth Landing (commercial area) and the MBTA commuter rail station located in the Landing. The Town and BELD came to CDRC-Boston to seek technical assistance with the community design process in order to create a visual concept that would encompass mix-use development including commercial, housing, and green space along the river including a river walk that adjoins other municipal facilities along the riverfront.
Client: United South End Settlements - Boston, MA The United South End Settlements (USES) building is currently heated and cooled using individual electric fan coil units in various locations throughout the building. The space also consists of a large atrium in the center of the structure as well as various catwalks throughout. The problems presented are high energy bills and a lack of usable space. USES came to CDRC-Boston in need of ideas to help reduce operating costs by updating its systems while also picking up more usable square footage in the process.
Mattapan based Education Careers Collaborative / Casa de Yemaya came to CDRC-Boston in need of design assistance to build a community center that would offer a community space for the education and enlightenment of African based religion and culture. The space will be used by the community and would also provide a place for visiting educators/artists to stay.
The solution was to analyze and ultimately design the type/size building that would be allowed on that property “by right” as per local zoning laws and building codes, while taking into consideration all the services and activities the client has in mind for the organization.
Volunteer Design Consultants: Meera Deean and Seth Hoffman of Affiliated Projects, Joseph Kennedy of Architecture for Humanity Boston, Andy Richard of Richard Design, & Gretchen Schneider of Schneider Studio Design.
The goal of Four Corners Main Streets is to develop and implement a well-designed economic development plan for the commercial district of Dorchester's Four Corners neighborhood by strengthening existing businesses and attracting new ones. 4CMS came to CDRC-Boston for technical assistance in developing a vision for a market to replace a recently vacated building and to expand into an adjacent lot.
This project was conducted in parallel with the Boston Architectural College's Practicestudents who worked with the Four Corners community on ideas for improvements to storefronts, signage, and for the community's overall development.
Chelsea Neighborhood Developers (CND) & City of Chelsea: CND and the City of Chelsea came to CDRC-Boston to help identify and address a number of the area's long standing problems. Through 4 community charrettes, CDRC-Boston volunteers created a plan that encompasses the outcome of these community meetings: clean sidewalks and streets in good repair, ample parking, crime reduction, traffic calming, great parks, high quality places to live, a sense of community, and increased economic opportunity.
Maurice J. Tobin School: The Maurice J. Tobin School came to the CDRC-Boston in search of a consultant to redesign a secondary entryway that would make it more aesthetically pleasing and functional. The consultant was tasked to come up with a solution to alleviate traffic congestion and to camouflage a dumpster while still allowing trash pickup. In addition, the school wanted some conceptual illustrations to improve the outdoor parking area and the pathway to Tremont Street.
Volunteer design consultants: Jonathan Garland and Paul Simon
Somerville Public Library: The Central branch of the Somerville Public Library has gone through only one renovation in the 1970’s since it construction in 1913. Since then, the library staff has done its best to add and update signs as needed creating an assortment and an abundance of signage throughout the interior. The Director of Somerville Public Library came to CDRC-Boston in need of a complete overhaul of the 79 Highland Avenue Library's internal way-finding signage system to one that is comprehensive, coordinated, clean, and especially easily updated and expanded.
Haley House Bakery and Cafe: Haley House Bakery and Café – Having grown out of its current Dudley Square space, Haley House is set on acquiring a lot of land on Washington Street to expand their current services. They are visioning a new green building (want to be the first platinum café in Boston) to house their cafe with outdoor seating on the street level, middle income housing community programming, and a green roof garden to supplement the fresh produce used in the cooking program and café fare. Haley House came to CDRC-Boston in need of a professional drawing of the concept to be used to mobilize support from the community and city agencies.
Boston Public Library & Author Irene Smalls: Children’s author Irene Smalls contacted CDRC-Boston in need of design consultants to help bring to life her popular children’s book Johnny and his Mommy in the form of a children’s interactive exhibit at the Boston Public Library. Ms. Smalls came up with the idea for the “Literacise” exhibit in response to several studies that show children's ability to learn is increased while they are active.
Brookview House: Brookview House came to CDRC-Boston in need of landscape design consultants who could develop a strategy for the organization’s two transitional homes for mothers and children that would fit within their budget and timeframe, while accommodating future growth. The solution was to enhance the site with plants to offset the urban environment, add colorful rubber playground surfacing with game courts, install integrated climbing structures and seating elements, add chalkboards along the existing fence, and convert an existing plant bed into a garden for residents who are so inclined.
D.C. Haley Elementary School: D.C. Haley Elementary School in Roslindale is a learning community of approximately 300 students from K1 through grade 5. Haley is the first Boston Public School to be designated a "Peace Zone" and all students and faculty honor the Pledge for Peace and components that make it work. Haley is also an affiliate of the Boston Nature Center and through collaborations with the school’s teachers, the students are afforded an environmental and community based learning initiative.
Volunteer design consultants: Landscape Architect Paul Simon and Landscape Designer Diane Akula
Union Square Main Streets: For three years, Union Square Main Streets (USMS) had been working to make changes to the zoning code to facilitate new arts related activity, pedestrian-oriented in-fill development and commercial redevelopment of brownfields. Two previous attempts at drafting the legislation failed, due in large part to concerns over new construction's impact on neighborhood character. USMS came to CDRC in need of professional visuals to better articulate the details of their proposal. The visuals ultimately helped translate the dense language of the zoning code into understandable images that resulted in a unanimous vote by the City of Somerville's Board of Aldermen.
Brockton Visioning: Brockton is one of the metro region’s satellite cities, located only 20 miles south of Boston. Brockton’s assets include good transportation access, strong educational and cultural institutions, and historic building stock; however, it also suffers from perceptions and realities of crime, economic underperformance and lack of community amenities.
Volunteers from CDRC-Boston and the Boston Society of Architects worked with Brockton city planners to facilitate three visioning sessions that gathered community feedback for the development of the city’s 2008 master plan.
The Youth Community Design Summit: held on June 21, 2008, the Youth Community Design Summit gathered youth from the Greater Boston area to discuss and imagine ways to make their neighborhoods safer. Neighborhood safety is an issue currently affecting all young people in Boston; by showing them how design solutions can build safer neighborhoods, they are empowered to positively affect their community. Design introduces them to new ways of seeing the world around them, in a creative, educational journey where they discover how they can become future designers, planners, builders, and community leaders.
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